Sambalpur, Mar 6: Tension gripped the Samaleswari Temple premises on Friday morning after alcohol bottles were found, raising alarm among devotees and local residents. The finding prompted swift police action and the registration of a criminal case.

Sources said the bottles were found near the back of the temple’s Diya Ghara (lamp house), along with remnants of a recently lit stove. Local speculation suggests that non-vegetarian food may also have been coocked within the temple premises.

The incident has raised questions about security, as over a hundred personnel and multiple surveillance cameras are stationed within the temple complex. How such activities could have taken place undetected remains unclear. Temple authorities and local officials have not yet provided an official explanation, leaving devotees and the wider community demanding accountability.

The episode has reignited calls for stricter monitoring and enforcement of temple regulations to preserve the sanctity of religious spaces.